RBNZ expectedly cut the interest rate. Inflationary pressures in Australia remained at the same level

At the end of Tuesday, the Dow Jones Index (US30) rose by 1.78%. The S&P 500 Index (US500) was up 2.05%. The Nasdaq Technology Index (US100) closed higher by 2.39%. The US stocks rose sharply on the first trading day of the week, following gains in Treasury securities as markets eased concerns that a new trade war could hamper the corporate outlook.

Tesla shares rose by 6.5% after CEO Elon Musk said he was going to refocus on his companies and reduce political involvement. Nvidia also added 3%, setting the pace for chipmakers ahead of its earnings release this week.

Equity markets in Europe were mostly up on Tuesday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose by 0.83%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down 0.02%, Spain’s IBEX35 (ES35) gained 0.13%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed higher by 0.69%. European stocks closed solidly higher on Tuesday, extending the previous session’s sharp gains amid easing fears of a trade war with the United States and renewed support from the defense sector. On the economic front, GfK surveys and Eurozone sentiment indicators improved in May.

WTI crude oil prices dipped to $61 a barrel after earlier gains as traders await the OPEC+ meeting, which is expected to decide on an increase in oil production. Sources say OPEC+ is likely to approve a 411,000 bpd production increase in July, continuing a trend of accelerating supply growth after a similar increase scheduled for June.

Asian markets were mostly up yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) was up 0.51%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) decreased by 0.53%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) added 0.43% and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) was positive 0.56%.

The New Zealand dollar stabilized around $0.594 on Wednesday, after briefly falling to $0.592 following the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s interest rate decision. As expected, the RBNZ cut the official money rate by 25 bps to 3.25% for the sixth consecutive time as inflation remains within the target range. The Central Bank also signaled that it has room for further rate cuts to support the economic recovery overshadowed by the US tariffs. The RBNZ now expects a monetary rate cut to 2.92% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and to 2.85% in the first quarter of 2026.

The Australian dollar fell to $0.643 on Wednesday, extending its recent decline despite stronger-than-expected inflation data. Monthly CPI for April came in at 2.4%, unchanged from the previous two months but slightly above market expectations of 2.3%. The data provided limited support for the currency as markets remain focused on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s dovish outlook. The Central Bank cut its policy rate by 25 basis points last week and is expected to continue easing in the coming months.